THE ORCHARD. 303 



trees when full-grown. Fruit-trees, as has already 

 been observed, when planted too thick, are very 

 liable to blights, and to be covered with moss, 

 w^hich robs the tree of a great part of its nourish- 

 ment, besides spoiling the flavour of the fruit. 

 Procure your trees from a soil nearly similar to, or 

 rather worse than that where you intend to plant 

 them ; for trees transplanted from a rich soil to a 

 poorer never thrive well, but if from a poorer to a 

 richer soil, they will generally succeed. 



If trees are planted in the quincunx order, and 

 at the distance of eighty feet, the ground between 

 the rows may be ploughed and sown with Wheat, 

 Turnips, &c. or planted with Potatoes. Plough-, 

 ing or digging the ground, provided it be not done 

 so deep as to hurt the roots, by admitting the sun 

 and rain to meliorate the ground, will keep the 

 trees in a healthy flourishing state. It will be ne- 

 cessary to support the young trees by tying them 

 to stakes until they are well rooted, to prevent 

 their being loosened or blown down by the wind. 

 The Spring after planting, if it proves dry, dig up 

 some turfj and lay it round the stem of the young 

 trees with the grassy side downwards ; this will 

 keep the ground moist, and save a deal of w^ater- 

 ing ; if the trees have taken well, this need not be 

 repeated, as they will be out of danger the first 

 •year. The turf should be laid as far as you think 

 the roots of the trees extend ; and when it is rot- 

 ted, it should be dug in, which will be of great ser- 

 vice to them. 



